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Text Sol Seraph was now running interference and delays on every security measure she had put into place: the curfew seemed to be particularly important to her for some reason, and she clearly lied about not having received any letter from Princess Celestia when she was summoned to a meeting in city hall. She had then calmly passed out several forms, saying in her cold, serious voice that any and all complaints could be addressed directly to her superiors and administration at the headquarters of Helios Mutual Holdings, and the security firm would hold an internal review… a process that would likely take six months. She had also begun sending 'interviewers' door-to-door, saying it was all standard procedure: furthermore, she was refusing to acknowledge Celestia's influence, and most of Ponyville's council was too terrified of the Pegasus that had now occupied Ponyville through fear and force to stand up to her. Only Twilight Sparkle had tried to argue with her… and she had been forcefully shackled as Sol told her quietly she needed a 'time out.' Twilight had been dragged off to what was referred to as an 'isolation booth:' a large, cylindrical cell made of whitewashed metal and with a single small window in the sliding door, a vent in the roof of the cell releasing an occasional hiss of sweet-smelling fumes. She had been left for several hours, and whatever poisons they were pumping into the cell had played hell on her mind, making her feel weak and tired, talking without realizing she was vocalizing her thoughts… and then she had been dragged out of the cell to an interrogation chamber. It had been brief: ten calm, gentle questions, and Twilight had answered three of them. Two about the Starlit Knights and their purpose, one about Celestia… but then her mind had begun to clear, and she had forced herself to stay silent. She had expected to be thrown back in the cell… but instead, she had been dragged outside the barn-turned-compound, and thrown rudely out into the road and told to 'be good' by the uniformed security ponies. Twilight had made her way miserably back to town, sent a letter apologizing to Luna and informing her of what had happened… and in their cabin, Luna had gone into a rage for a little while, Scrivener muttering agreements with what the winged unicorn wanted to do to Sol Seraph even as he'd thought about what this all meant. But they had gained information: even though Twilight's recollection was fuzzy, they now at least knew what was inside the barn that Sol Seraph had so quickly purchased and put such effort into rebuilding and upgrading. Furthermore, despite everything, Sol Seraph had set Twilight Sparkle free instead of using her as bait… but Luna said quietly that only went to further show that the creature considered herself to be. A hunter, a predator: and whatever she was after here, she obviously was confident that she could capture it by herself… and arrogant enough to show off the power she now held, perhaps in an attempt to bring Luna to her. They stayed back and patient, however, Luna and Scrivener Blooms spending the night mostly in their home and forcing themselves to focus on other things. Every now and then they traded letters with Twilight Sparkle, but mostly Scrivener focused on writing and transcribing notes and Luna quietly painted, the exercise soothing her bit-by-bit. Every so often, she would look up at a beautiful painting she had done of Scrivy that hung above the fireplace, and she would smile to herself: to her, the shadowy picture of the male in mid-run through a dark forest littered with black and white roses… she would never surpass it. But now, she was working on something for Twilight, doing everything by hoof instead of using even the slightest hint of her powers, biting her tongue nervously now and then when she tried to fix a mistake or work it into the painting. It was hard work, but it taught her patience and discipline, and that the same pains and pleasures of battle could be found in the strangest of places. When morning came, Scrivener Blooms and Luna lowered the moon, side-by-side, then made their way into the Everfree Forest: just over the bridge, however, Luna halted, and then grimaced as she looked towards a tree that had a large, straight cut lashed through the bark, the winged unicorn resting a hoof near this and saying quietly: "Keep thine eyes open." Scrivener grimaced a bit, looking back and forth… and then he grunted and approached a tree some ten feet away, touching it and examining another straight cut through the bark, and Luna nodded grimly. "'Tis as I feared. Our path has been marked by a pony… likely Sol Seraph. Or perhaps… she has marked this path for another reason, perhaps for those she works for. Aye, Scrivy, I remember as well what she said… but who knows what the truth is behind her machinations? The creature is sly and seeks to confuse us." Scrivy nodded after a moment with a grunt, and the two were silent as they made their way down the path, nervously looking every now and then towards the marks that were now all-too-clear on the trees. They formed a clear path along the half-hidden trail… and their worries about Sol Seraph were clearly confirmed when they found a strip of manticore hide pinned to a tree by an ugly, short knife near the entrance to the forest. "The creature is mad." Luna muttered, and the winged unicorn's horn glowed before she yanked the knife free with a flick of her head, then tossed the weapon disdainfully into the bushes, letting the tattered chunk of pelt fall to the ground. They both looked at this for a moment, then quickly continued onwards, emerging from beneath the canopy of gnarled trees as Scrivener gave a shudder despite himself… before they both looked up in surprise as there was a loud crash in the distance. They traded a look, then ran in the direction of the cacophony as yells rose along with sounds of clashing steel, both recognizing the sounds of what could only be battle as they sprinted along the edge of the Everfree Forest and then up a squat hill to gaze down in shock at the sight of Sol Seraph's black carriage, and the Pegasus herself standing with minotaur bodyguards on either side of her as well as her unicorn assistant, the male hurriedly making notes as the vicious female calmly rested back in her suit and slowly smoked a cigarette. Luna and Scrivy both gritted their teeth… but without looking up or further acknowledging their presence, Sol Seraph said clearly: "We are handling the situation, Luna. Let the predators do their job." In the distance, a squad of minotaurs and ponies in black uniform were clashing with Nibelungs and Velites: the latter were composed of the skeletons of ponies and other creatures, covered in runes etched into the ivory and yellow of their bones, often wearing shreds of clothing or broken armor and several with burning gemstones fused to their frames. They were brittle but difficult to kill… demonstrated by the fact that one that had been torn in half was dragging itself towards where Sol Seraph was lounging, before one of her minotaur bodyguards stepped forwards, raising a hoof and stomping down to crush in its skull in a puff of dust. Luna looked sharply up, surveying the chaos: the security forces were pushing them back, but not without cost. The Nibelungs were fighting savagely, and even from this distance, Luna could tell they weren't bandits like the idiots who had captured Scarlet Sage, but tried and tested warriors. Several ponies lay bleeding and dead, along with a minotaur… and still, Sol Seraph only watched with cold, clinical interest before she said quietly: "Look at them. Fighting. Killing. Yet all so clumsy, so crude: they don't know what they're doing. I've heard, Luna, that you are known for your talents as a warrior… and I can clearly feel your desire to take the field, but I would advise you not to. This is not a place for princesses to play at being warriors. No matter how strong you are, understand this: my forces here are under orders to protect certain vested interests. I do not do this out of compassion. I do not do this to protect the weak. What this event before you comes down to is an exercise: the weak who have no place serving as warriors are being culled from the ranks by these mediocre opponents, and the strong will survive and prosper, as is fit. "Do not try and protect them, when you are too afraid to protect yourself. When all that should matter is protecting yourself, your own interests, your own strength." Sol Seraph slowly looked over her shoulder at the two, and she smiled icily as she flicked her cigarette out of her muzzle, making the unicorn assistant wince back with a yelp as it bounced off his face. "Perhaps your cowardice is a blessing, though. It means you'll run faster… and I'll get to enjoy the hunt longer." "Sol Seraph… heed my words." Luna said quietly, stepping silently forwards and bowing her head as she took a slow breath, and Scrivener looked at her silently before he turned his own gaze forwards, the two looking down at the Pegasus as she gazed up with narrowed eyes. "Surrender, and leave Ponyville. This will not end well for thee if thou insists upon making war on me, for reasons that still are so unclear. Leave. 'Twill be better for thee. For all that I wish to destroy thee… I must also prove that I am of worthier stuff than thou art. Leave, Sol Seraph. I grant to thee the mercy that thou fails every day to grant every other creature in thine own life, in the hopes that it will awaken thee from… this brutal, barbarian dream." Sol Seraph gritted her teeth, turning around and striding slowly up the hill towards them, her body radiating malice before she shoved Scrivener Blooms hard aside and pressed almost nose-to-nose with Luna, locking eyes with her as Luna glared furiously back, her mane sparking with electricity as the starlit locks snapped backwards, and there was silence as the two glared into one another's eyes. A full minute passed, neither willing to break contact, both furious, the sense of rage and hate growing all the while… and then finally, Sol Seraph's jaw twitched, and then she stepped backwards with a hiss… and slowly closed her eyes. Luna breathed hard, relaxing slightly, leaning forwards with her teeth grit… and then grimacing as a cruel smile spread over Sol's face, the Pegasus leaning forwards and saying quietly: "Yes… you will make an excellent opponent, won't you, Luna? Maybe some of the stories are true… but you're trapped in the old ways of thinking. Of believing that you have to protect those weaker than yourself, despite your superiority, and that is your flaw. Now, I'm growing tired of cat-and-mouse… and this only makes me more eager to test myself against you." "Then come and find me when thou art done with thy treacherous games, Sol Seraph, and I shall end thy life and cure thee of thy madness." Luna said quietly, and then she turned and simply left, Scrivener following the winged unicorn after a moment, both ignoring the cold laughter of the Pegasus that followed in their hooves. Slowly, they made their way back towards the path that led to Ponyville, and Luna grimaced a little as they fell into step beside each other, the female muttering: "Sol Seraph grows anxious for the battle, Scrivener Blooms, and I still worry I know too little about her. Perhaps Twilight has found more information, but… today we must spend researching and strategizing. I wish that we had the time to train the Starlit Knights as well, but… sadly, it is too difficult to wend our way around the monster's machinations at this point in time. I can only imagine how enraged Applejack is, with her orchards full of security personnel running 'inspections.'" The male made a face, nodding at this as they made their way towards the village, the gates standing open and guarded by minotaurs… but the bipedal bulls only grunted and nodded to them, and even when a black-uniformed security pony began to open his mouth, one of the minotaurs simply slammed the butt of his axe into the ground in front of the male and he quailed immediately away. The minotaurs treated Luna like she was one of their own: they seemed to recognize her warrior spirit, calling her Baba Yaga, a reference that made Luna laugh heartily. It was the name of a primeval entity, a guardian spirit with rule over the elements and life and death, a terrifying witch that devoured her enemies and aided the pure-hearted hero. A trickster and savior, it made Scrivy smile in amusement himself now whenever he heard Luna referred to in this manner: it was all too fitting a name for her. And yet, for all their size, pride, and power… the minotaurs also remained in servitude to the monster they called volk: the few that had spoken a little about it said that they had no other choice, but never elaborated much. Nor could anypony get much out of Aleksandr and Ivan, even though the two no longer worked for Sol Seraph… they only muttered that it was bad luck to talk about it. Scrivener Blooms and Luna made their way to the library, and spent the day there: with not only Twilight Sparkle and Spike helping out, but Fluttershy and Rarity also aiding their research and planning, they were able to get a lot done and cover a few important details that Luna had been worried would slip to the side. Rarity, for example, ran a little more than just her boutique now: she made uniforms and was learning to weave gemstones and metals in ways that did more than simply accent clothing and style, but offered additional protection and armor. She also was slowly beginning to develop her skills with a forge, but much of her time was still spent some standing some thirty feet away from the 'icky fire,' slowly chewing on her lip as she hesitantly hammered metal into different shapes. But it was a skill Luna and the others were encouraging her to learn and develop …and once Luna had gotten Rainbow Dash to prance around in the Wonderbolts-styled armor the winged unicorn had made for him, showing off the glints and gleams of metal, they had finally started to convince the unicorn to pursue this new path. Rarity had stared at the colors, the gleam of metal, the way the plates moved and how every shape had a purpose… and this more than anything else had been what had gotten her attention. The thought that working with armor could be just another big fashion challenge, just like designing a dress that would be both pretty as well as useful… she was just using metal instead of cloth, and the results were usually a little shinier instead of glitzy and silky. Gemstones, however, were another matter entirely. Rarity was very, very good with working gemstones into any fabric, and she had begun designing a whole range of light armor, perhaps making them a little too showy at times, but always remembering to follow the same rules she did for uniforms instead of the stylish wear she still loved to indulge in now and then: workability, usability, and durability over flair and fashion. So far, Rarity had assembled some twenty lightweight vests, styled in what she proudly called 'gemstone scaling.' The gemstones were cut to patterned shapes and thickness to interlock with each other and form a protective layer that was both snug yet flexible, allowing easy movement as well as ample defense. Luna was glad to know that at least when the Starlit Knights were assembled they would have equipment to take with them, despite Sol's interference and meddling… and then the winged unicorn had walked over to simply sit quietly with Fluttershy where she was silently reading. She had been surprised to look down and see it was a book on hunting and trapping… and after studying the Pegasus for a few moments, Luna had gently closed it in front of her almost-glazed, terrified eyes, and Fluttershy had looked up with a tremble before the winged unicorn had hugged her quietly and murmured softly: "'Twill be over soon, one way or another, Fluttershy. I promise." The female had nodded mutely, then looked down and whispered: "I hope you're right, Luna. But… please, be careful. I'm scared for everyone… and the longer she's here, the… the more I remember. The trophies she kept on the walls, the big house in Hoofston, cigarette smoke and… how she always told me I had to punish myself for being weak, so that one day I could be strong… how she always tried to make me strong, by… but… I couldn't do it. I could never do it…" Fluttershy shivered a little as the others gazed over at her quietly, and then she slowly stood up, shaking her head quickly and murmuring: "I don't want… you to do this alone, though, Luna. I can't fight her, but… I can still help you all, I have to help you all, in some way. You've protected me from her… from the thoughts she put in my head, from what she did to me, from what she tried to do to me when she first arrived." She stopped, then looked up with a faint smile over the gathered ponies, saying quietly even as tear rolled down her cheek: "I'm terrified, but I'm going to be brave. I'm going to prove I can be brave… that I'm not worthless. Let me help." Twilight smiled faintly, and then Luna reached up a hoof up and rested it quietly on the shoulder of the Pegasus, saying quietly: "And thou art helping greatly, Fluttershy. By keeping safe, by caring for the foals and putting on a strong face before them, and with thy selfless kindness… and thou art strong. Strong indeed, to have survived being raised by that monster… I cannot imagine how such a curse upon Equestria could birth such a blessing as thyself." "Mother always said… I was too much like Father." Fluttershy smiled faintly after a moment, glancing away and whispering: "I think I'm glad she said that now." Luna nodded firmly… and for a little while, there was quiet as the group went back to research and strategizing until dark. Then, Scrivener and Luna headed out and to the gates, where a security patrol was waiting silently for them… but the unicorn in charge of the group of armored and armed ponies simply held out a letter to them, then motioned for the gates to be opened with a grunt and an irritable shooing gesture. They waited until they reached the safety of their cabin to open the strange, rolled-up letter, sealed with a black crest… and inside, there was only a short promise, written in red ink in swirling, self-righteous script: The game has ended, and my hunt has begun. They read the words, and then Luna and Scrivener Blooms looked nervously at each other in their dark cottage in the Everfree Forest, and not even the winged unicorn could repress a shudder as they pressed their bodies close together, the parchment falling in front of the fireplace and the promise written in blood-colored ink almost glowed with malevolence in the light cast from the blue flames. 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